I've moved my food blogging over to Wordpress. This journal has been around 9 years, and though I will still use it for personal stuff, I needed a fresh start.

Check out nicooks.wordpress.com for my new food blog. 

I was inspired to try something new after watching Thomas Keller prepare his simple roast chicken on the No Reservations 'Techniques' episode.

That's right, I'd never roasted a whole chicken.

Aside from some uncertainty trussing the bird, it was indeed as easy as Keller said.

The first night, it was extremely delicious served with baked sweet ( Read more... )

More leftovers: Mushroom stock and goat cheese.

( Veggie rice with goat cheese )

It was one of those nights. I got off work early, and I felt guilty about the abundance of leftovers in the fridge.

Here's what became of them.

( Brie, chicken and cranberry tart )

( Read more... )

Last night T. brought home chocolate-Guinness cupcakes from Coastal Cupcakes.

Like coffee, the Guinness just enhanced the chocolate flavor.

Do I feel an at-home re-creation coming on?

Growing up, we called it "Tuna Crapperole."

My worst memory of it, I was 10 or 11. The whole family was about to go for an after-dinner walk. My plate was still full of the creamy, noodley stuff. Parents laid down the law: I couldn't go on the walk unless I cleaned my plate. I stalled and waited, waited and stalled. But they wouldn't give in. I ( Read more... )

These cupcakes can't match the one I had downtown Saturday.
But they're pretty tasty!

( Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes )

When I don't follow a recipe, my dinner 'experiments' aren't usually palatable.
For dinner last night, I had an idea in my head and threw it together without any research.
And it was good!
I'll take this as a sign that I'm learning how to pair preparation methods with proper ingredients.

( Roast pork, apples and onions )

When making tomato sauce, I've noticed a HUGE flavor difference between using whole peeled or crushed tomatoes.
The crushed sauce just tastes like ketchup. The whole tomato sauce tastes fresh and like, well, tomatoes.
Here's the one I made last night:

( Tomato sauce )